Customer Reviews

The Good Journey

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Mary Bullitt met General Atkinson in Louisville, Kentucky in January, 1826. Henry Atkinson was an acquaintance of Mary's Uncle William back in St. Louis. When William Clark described his niece to Henry, he wished to meet her. Mary, considered a spinster at the ripe old age of twenty-two, considered the General rather old for her tastes at first, since he was in his forties, but she gradually warmed to the idea of marrying him, and later in the month of January, she married him and traveled west to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.

Though raised in much wealth, Mary seemed to adapt quite adequately to her new home, though at first she unintentionally insulted the General by asking if the home belonged to the servants she brought with her from Kentucky. She also participated in the planting, an activity that she had never performed before in her life. At the center of the Atkinsons' lives were the ongoing campaigns to find the Indian Black Hawk with whom the General held a twenty-some-year feud. The General did his best to settle matters peacefully between the Indians and whites but was met with much resistance from the militia as well as the powers that be in Washington.

While Mary finally declared her love for the General, he had a wall around his heart which she rarely seemed to penetrate. Further complicating their relationship was the appearance of a beautiful young Indian translator by the name of Bright Sun. The General's relationship to Bright Sun was a constant thorn in Mary's side.

Steeped in actual historical events inspired by real people, this novel makes the west in the early 1800's come alive. Sparing no punches, Ms. Gilchrist tells it as it really was, rampant dysentary among Army troops as well as tragic deaths from cholera. This is a refreshing return to realism sometimes spared in many historical novels failing to give the reader a true picture of the times.

Though the relationship between Mary and Henry wouldn't be deemed a traditional romance, their marriage, though expounded upon with fiction, seems very true to the reader as they endure the trials and tragedies of everyday life. This is a richly descriptive read with an enduring story that shouldn't be missed.

This is one of those books that rarely comes along. Micaela takes your hand from the first page and with every word there after, you both want to devour this book and savor each word all at the same time. The story of Mary, a rather spoiled southern belle who is rapidly in danger of becoming a spinster, and Henry, a general who at 40 has decided he wants her for his bride becomes a truly breathtaking tale. Mary weds Henry and he takes her to the western frontier. The book tells the story of Mary becoming a woman and learning to love this stranger who is her husband. It is also the story of the beginning of the end of the indians who are also a mystery to Mary, especially her husbands relationship with Black Hawk and a female indian translator. For Mary to truly understand herself, her husband and his relationship with these two indians is the making of a truly great novel. One that after even 400 pages seems to end too quickly. I really loved this book!

I loved it, I enjoyed every minute of it and I didn't want it to end. From the Prologue to the Epilogue, this book moved you into the past with a realism that touches all your senses. Using words long forgotten in the English language, her descriptive narrative not only puts you in a time and place long ago, but you can feel it! You know exactly what the General's coat feels like. You can smell the spices, herbs, foods, the trees and flowers. You can hear the sound of a knife cutting into flesh. And you struggle with your own moral since of what was between the white man and the Indian at that time and place in history, while you live this life with Mary and Henry who are so very human. My favorite part is the prologue, I went back and read it again when I finished the book because it just blew me away how she describes Mary preparing her husbands body for burial. What a book!! Good job Micaela!

From the moment you begin reading this historical novel, you'll be pulled into the lives of Mary Bulliett and General Henry Atkinson. The story between this husband and wife is beautifully written and described with such great detail, you actually feel like you are there witnessing the daily struggles and lifetime tragedies these two extraordinary characters experience. The book is based on real people and events, which occurred in the early 1800's - a time when Indians and white man battled over the land. Ms. Gilcrest has done an excellent job telling their story while at the same time developing their very authentic personalities. A truly well written, great book!

This is perhaps one of the most intense historical fiction novels I have read in a long time. It is so well-written, that I keep glancing through my Native American Indian history books to gather more information about Black Hawke and General Henry Atkinson. This novel really has renewed my interest in Native American history.

Mary Bullitt agrees to marry General Henry Atkinson after knowing him one day. She moves from Louisville, Kentucky, to St. Lois ~~ at that time, a frontier-town in what was known as the West. This novel is based on Mary's journals. It is also a novel rich in details of life in the early 1800s to the mid-1800s. It also explores the question of Indian rights that were being violated at the time and other people's misconception of the Indian Wars.

Mary and her General kept me riveted through the pages and transported me back to the early beginnings of this country. It reminds me of man's greed ~~ to conquer all he sees and how others fight it. It brought me to the realization that life was tenous during those times ~~ as well as being more intense as well. The scenery descriptions and actual lifestyle habits of the times are so well-researched, that I actually felt like I was there as an observer.

This is a beautifully-written novel ~~ one to keep in your personal library. If you know of someone who is tenative about reading historical novels, start with this one. It is a guarantee to bring history alive in the reader's mind.

1-27-04

I just finished reading "The Good Journey". What a wonderful read! In style, it reminded me of "Memoirs of a Geisha" because of its poetic prose. And, in fact, the relationship between the man and the woman was somewhat similar in that the two people come from different backrounds and are significantly different in age. Although it got a little bogged down in the middle (perhaps because I had too many interruptions at that point!), you will absolutely love the ending! You will also learn a bit about the plight of the Native Americans during the early 1800's and how "The General" was different from many others in power at that time. Treat yourself to this book!

What a terrific story! A young (?) southern belle, and a General 22 years her senior, get married after knowing eachother for three days, and he whisks her off to the western frontier, so he can try to keep order in the Indian lands.

The injustices that were done to the indians are just one aspect of the things you learn, along with some history of the west; but it's the characters and their story that keep you turning the pages.

Mary, the "heroine" is a woman you can relate to. How she comes to really love her husband, how she adjusts to her new surroundings; her jealousies, her heartbreak, her overall character. The indian characters are wonderful, and really draw you in, you will want to know their story, and even though you already know the outcome, you are still routing for them to win their war. Especially Bright Sun, what she goes through being a translator for the white man and the Sauk, being a woman indian in the time of war, trying to hold what she loves together, and what she believes...well some of it is truly heartbreaking. You will admire her strength and courage. The General, himself, is an unforgettable character, I only wish there was more info on his life.

The story keeps you turning the pages to find out what is happening, it keeps the characters firmly planted in your head, and even your heart because you really "feel" for them, and the ending is wonderful, as well as satisfying, it ties up all the loose ends that you are waiting for throughout the book.

Go west, young man,(woman), and take the journey.

Enjoy, Debbi

In 1826 Louisville, Mary Bullitt is considered a spinster by the time she reaches twenty-two. However, things change when General Henry Atkinson, Commander of the Sixth Regiment and guardian of the frontier stretching from the Canadian border to the Red River, arrives in town. Mary's mother wants her daughter to accept Henry's courtship.

When Henry proposes, Mary says yes. They marry and move to the Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis. Compared to the grandeur of her former home, her new abode seems like a hovel. However, Mary is contented because she likes her new spouse though he keeps many secrets and is very silent. Over the next eighteen years together, Mary observes the destruction of the Indians by the General and others reluctantly obeying orders from DC.

THE GOOD JOURNEY is a look back to a time when the military carried out Washington's directions to slaughter the Indians so that "Americans" can replace them on their land. Through Mary and Henry's eyes, the readers see a perspective that will shake the audience with an American destruction that is nothing less than genocide. Micaela Gilchrist provides quite an Americana fiction novel of the American West reminiscent of the great L'Amour.

Harriet Klausner

I have never tried to read a book so slowly before. When I finished, I closed the book and was completely speechless. If you like historical fiction, this will soon be one of your favorites. The author paints a picture without overdoing it with flowery language. I had to turn around and buy a copy as soon as I finished.

This book is honestly one of the best I have ever read. Its story begins slow, but don't despair you are quickly captivated and never let go. The characters stayed with me for weeks. Beautiful